Recommended Free Tools
Short answer: Choose ScrapingBee when you want to add screenshots to an HTML scraping workflow; choose Browserless when you want a dedicated screenshot endpoint with direct capture controls or broader hosted-browser tools. Neither vendor’s published documentation establishes a universal winner for screenshot accuracy, success rate, or cost. For a screenshot-first API alternative, try ScreenshotNeo first: it removes common consent banners, popups, and chat widgets before capture, and bills only clean shots.
How the screenshot APIs differ
| Service | API shape | What the documented workflow suits |
|---|---|---|
| ScrapingBee | Screenshot parameters within its HTML API. | Workflows that already use its rendered-page scraping API and may also need page interactions or extraction. |
| Browserless | A dedicated REST POST /screenshot endpoint. |
Workflows centered on screenshots that need direct control over capture format, viewport, clipping, or element selection, as well as teams considering other hosted-browser tasks. |
These are differences in documented integration surfaces, not evidence that one service produces more accurate images. The comparison below reflects vendor documentation and pricing pages, not a controlled benchmark. ScrapingBee API documentation; Browserless Screenshot API.
ScrapingBee: screenshots inside an HTML scraping request
ScrapingBee requires JavaScript rendering for screenshots: set render_js=True and screenshot=True. Its screenshot mode disables resource blocking so the browser loads images and CSS. By default, the screenshot shows the current viewport; use screenshot_full_page=True for a long page or screenshot_selector to capture a CSS-selected area.
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Basic request
This Python example requests a rendered-page screenshot. Supply your ScrapingBee API key and replace the target URL as needed:
import requests
params = {
"api_key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
"url": "https://example.com",
"render_js": "true",
"screenshot": "true",
}
response = requests.get(
"https://app.scrapingbee.com/api/v1/",
params=params,
timeout=90,
)
response.raise_for_status()
with open("shot.png", "wb") as image:
image.write(response.content)For a full-page capture, add "screenshot_full_page": "true" to params. To capture an element instead, use "screenshot_selector": ".main-content" with a selector that exists on the rendered page. The documented parameter names are listed in the ScrapingBee API documentation.
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Timing, viewport, and interaction
ScrapingBee documents wait, wait_for, and wait_browser for synchronizing a capture with page rendering. You can set window_width and window_height to choose the viewport. Its JavaScript scenarios can perform actions such as clicks and scrolling; these are useful when a page must be interacted with before capture, but are broader scraping-workflow features rather than screenshot-only options. Proxy and geolocation settings are also part of its wider API.
For lazy-loaded content, a screenshot taken before the page has scrolled or finished rendering may omit material. Choose wait conditions and any required page interactions based on how the target page loads; do not assume that requesting a full-page image by itself triggers every site’s lazy-loading behavior.
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Browserless documents a REST POST /screenshot endpoint. A request can specify a URL or inline HTML and screenshot options. The endpoint returns PNG, JPEG, or WebP according to the requested type. Documented controls include full-page capture, viewport dimensions, image quality, clipping, device scale factor, and selector-based capture using an element’s bounding box. See the Browserless Screenshot API documentation.
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Basic request shape
The following shows the endpoint’s general JSON request shape; use the authentication method and exact request details in your Browserless account and API documentation:
curl -X POST "https://production-sfo.browserless.io/screenshot?token=YOUR_API_TOKEN"
-H "Content-Type: application/json"
--output shot.png
-d '{
"url": "https://example.com",
"options": {
"fullPage": true,
"type": "png"
}
}'Confirm the endpoint host, authentication, and supported option names for your Browserless deployment before using this as a production request. The Browserless REST API overview describes screenshot capture alongside separate content, scraping, PDF, download, and custom-function endpoints: Browserless REST API overview.
Viewport, selectors, and lazy content
Set the viewport before capture when responsive layout matters; Browserless notes that responsive rendering depends on viewport dimensions. For long pages or lazy-loaded elements, its documentation describes scrolling before capture, including scrollPage: true in its BAP guidance, which can be combined with full-page capture. Its BAP guide also describes waitForImages. Check which options apply to the specific Browserless interface you use rather than assuming REST and BAP settings are interchangeable: Browserless BAP screenshot guide.
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Which one should you choose?
- Choose ScrapingBee if screenshots belong in an existing HTML scraping flow, or if you need its documented JavaScript rendering, page scenarios, proxy, or geolocation settings in the same workflow.
- Choose Browserless if you prefer a dedicated screenshot route, need its documented capture controls, or want screenshot capture alongside wider hosted-browser endpoints.
- Test your own pages before committing if your workload depends on precise timing, responsive breakpoints, lazy-loaded content, or sites that may block automation. Neither service’s cited documentation provides independent, representative comparative results for fidelity or success rate.
Browserless says REST APIs do not offer real-time interaction or branching while a page is running. If a task depends on in-session decisions rather than a configured request, check whether its other browser interfaces fit better. Browserless REST API overview.
Pricing: credits and browser time are different units
The pricing figures below are vendor-published figures recorded in 2026; verify the live plan terms before purchase. They are not directly comparable: ScrapingBee charges credits per API request according to configuration, while Browserless meters browser connection time in units and separately charges for some proxy traffic and successful CAPTCHA solves.
ScrapingBee credit costs for relevant configurations
| Configuration | Documented cost per request |
|---|---|
| Classic proxy, no JavaScript rendering | 1 credit; this non-rendered configuration does not produce the documented screenshot. |
| Classic proxy with JavaScript rendering | 5 credits |
| Premium proxy, no JavaScript rendering | 10 credits |
| Premium proxy with JavaScript rendering | 25 credits |
| Stealth proxy with JavaScript rendering | 75 credits |
ScrapingBee also documents a 5-credit charge for AI extraction. Auto-Mode charges for the configuration that succeeds, among its listed configurations, and supports a maximum-cost cap. Since screenshot capture requires JavaScript rendering, budget using a rendering configuration rather than the 1-credit non-rendered request. ScrapingBee API documentation.
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ScrapingBee published plans
| Plan | Monthly price | API credits | Concurrent requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby | $19/month | 15,000 | 25 |
| Freelance | $49/month | 50,000 | 50 |
| Startup | $99/month | 200,000 | 100 |
| Business | $249/month | 600,000 | 200 |
| Business+ | $599/month | 1,600,000 | 400 |
ScrapingBee’s 2026 product page lists these plan figures, says prices exclude VAT, and advertises 1,000 free API credits without a credit card. ScrapingBee pricing.
Browserless published plans and usage units
| Plan | Published price | Units per month | Maximum concurrent browsers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | 1,000 | 2 |
| Prototyping | $25/month, billed annually | 20,000 | 10 |
| Starter | $140/month, billed annually | 180,000 | 40 |
| Scale | $350/month, billed annually | 500,000 | 100 |
Browserless defines one unit as up to 30 seconds of browser connection time per browser connection. Its pricing page lists residential proxy traffic at 6 units/MB, datacenter proxy traffic at 2 units/MB, and successful CAPTCHA solves at 10 units; paid tiers list overage rates, and enterprise pricing is custom. These are Browserless-published figures with annual billing specified for the paid plans shown. Browserless pricing.
Estimate with your actual capture workload
Before comparing monthly spend, estimate request volume, the ScrapingBee render and proxy configuration, Browserless browser duration and proxy traffic, required concurrency, and likely overages. A short capture may have different Browserless unit consumption from a long-running page, while ScrapingBee credit use varies by request configuration. The published plan quotas alone do not establish which will be cheaper for your workload.
Best Value
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Blocking, incomplete captures, and troubleshooting
A browser-rendered screenshot is not a guarantee that the target site allowed automation or finished loading every element. Browserless identifies blank or white images, CAPTCHA pages, 403/access-denied pages, and missing or broken elements as possible signs of automation blocking. Its documentation points to the /unblock API and residential proxies as possible mitigations, not as guarantees that every site can be captured. Browserless Screenshot API.
| Symptom | Likely cause to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Screenshot is blank, shows a CAPTCHA, or contains a 403/access-denied page | Target site may be blocking automation. | Check the target response and Browserless guidance on its unblock API or proxy options; neither is guaranteed to work for every site. |
| Images, fonts, or page styling are missing in ScrapingBee | Screenshot mode should disable resource blocking, but the request may not be using screenshot mode or the page may not have finished loading. | Verify screenshot=True and render_js=True; inspect wait settings and the rendered result. |
| Long page ends early or lazy-loaded items are absent | Content may load only after scrolling, or the capture may occur too soon. | Use the relevant full-page and scrolling behavior, then wait for the page’s content to load. Browserless documents scroll-before-capture guidance; ScrapingBee offers wait controls and JavaScript scenarios. |
| Wrong crop or responsive layout | Viewport, selector, clip, or device scale settings may not match the intended image. | Set viewport dimensions deliberately and verify the selected element or clipping region at that viewport. |
| Capture is inconsistent across runs | Dynamic page content, timing, fonts, images, or target-site defenses may vary. | Use a page-specific wait condition where available and compare repeated requests under the same viewport and settings. |
Or skip the browser setup
For a screenshot-first alternative, try ScreenshotNeo. One GET request returns an image or PDF; it can remove cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture, and bot checks/CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. An MCP server lets Claude, Cursor, or another MCP client use screenshot tools. The free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. Every feature is available on every plan. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan: 1,000 screenshots a month, no card required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ScrapingBee take a screenshot without JavaScript rendering?
No. Its documentation says screenshot capture requires render_js=True.
Which service has the higher screenshot success rate?
The cited vendor documentation and pricing pages do not establish a comparative success rate or a universal accuracy winner.
Does Browserless guarantee it can get past a CAPTCHA?
No. Browserless describes its unblock API and proxy options as possible mitigations; the documentation does not guarantee access to every defended site.
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